One of many amazing ones on the 1300 block of Corcoran St, NW.

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“Dear PoP,

I was with my dog and about 200 other people at the big park at 11th and Rhode Island today at about 6:50pm. All of a sudden we heard about 8 gunshots from the basketball courts there, and the 50 or so people who’d been playing or watching the game scattered. We took a minute to figure out what was going on and then headed home. By that time there were about 15 cop cars and a helicopter in the area. When we were walking up 11th towards S there were 2 guys who’d been shot- neither looked seriously hurt but we were across the street- and they were both surrounded by cops.

Despite having been there, I can’t believe someone would open fire in the middle of a crowd like that, in the middle of the afternoon. Makes me really sad for my neighborhood.

Earthquakes and gun battles- and it’s only Tuesday.”

MPD confirms:

“This evening, Third District police responded to 11 & RI Ave, NW, for a report of sounds of gunshots. Upon arrival, they discovered 2 victims suffering from non life-threatening gunshot wounds. They were taken to area hospital for medical treatment.

Anyone who may have witnessed or has information concerning the incident is asked to call MPD at (202) 727-9099.”

From an email:

“Dickson Wine Bar experimented with a new menu format during these past two weeks. We made a huge mistake in taking off some of our loyal customers favorite items, including the banh mi! We heard loud and clear that this ‘sacred cow’ shouldn’t be messed with. Mea culpa, and they are back, along with other fan favorites – the flatbreads, tuna tartar, etc. To thank everyone for their patience and support, we are offering a complimentary happy hour beer or wine with each banh mi ordered this week (through Sunday).”

We last spoke about Dickson Wine Bar, located at 903 U St, NW, here.

Back in July we noticed that Umi Japanese Restaurant (replacing IPOH) was starting to look good at 2625 Connecticut Ave. NW. Anyone check them out yet? You can see their menu here.

Thanks to a reader for sending these awesome photos after seeing yesterday’s row house on 11th St, NW. Apparently they were done by the same architects – “Rich/ Kube (and LI).”

Ridiculously awesome spot for a morning cup of coffee and/or mojito:

Another reader writes:

“Large bricks off the structure housing pitazzi on Columbia RD in Adams
Morgan. High pedestrian area. Even the cops acknowledged this could’ve killed a passerby.”

If you have any fun or interesting animal/pet photos please shoot me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say what neighborhood you’re from or upload to the PoPville flickr pool with your pets name and neighborhood. I can’t guarantee I’ll get them all posted but I’ll do my best.

Photo of Bearclaw by PoPville flickr user Vileinist

“Lola from Mount Pleasant”

“I live in Bloomingdale/Shaw (not sure where one begins and ends). My dog, Tori.”

Photo via PoPville twitter follower @CitizenCassidy

Lots of readers are writing and tweeting about damage to Mt. Rona Church:

“Damage to the baptist church at 13 and Monroe St, NW”

Another reader writes:

“Mt. Rona Baptist Church sustained damage to its steeple, chimney, and above its entrance. Stones fell literally across the street. Not sure what the overall building integrity is, but people should avoid the area in general– Monroe from 11th to Holmead and 13th from Park to Otis are shut down by police. Believe me, nothing was more disturbing then coming home to find my entire intersection blocked by police.”

Thanks to a reader for sending more shots:

This rental is located at 1st and P St, NW:

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The Craigslist ad says:

“The 2 bedroom in law suite shares the huge kitchen in the main floor with a young professionals who just moving to the property . The basement in law suite are located in the 1st floor of this incredible 3 floor rows house.

The basement in law suite are located in the 1st floor of this incredible 3 floor rows house, This 2 bedroom English basement Law suite house has it all, Central Heating and cooling system, specious living and kitchen with a huge nice backyard are just to mention a few.

Located on the corner of 1st and P St south of Big Bear Cafe, 4 blocks from the (green and yellow line) and 2 blocks from (the red line metro)

The Apt is really nice place to relax and unwind, and yet just steps to the bustle of P St. Convention Center development or a five-minute walk to U street corridor, Chinatown, and Logan Circle, Plenty of sunlight; Multiple windows and patio/back yard space

Separte Living and Dinning area
Huge Kitchen
Huge living room easily could be converted to a bedroom
Perfect location
Washer and Dryer
Dish Washer
Stove and microwave
Parking Space
Could easily fit 2 people comfortably
Monthly rent at $1700

LOCATION FEATURES

In the heart of Logan Circle (P St and 1st St NW)
4 Grocery stores Giant, Safeway, CVS and Whole Foods
Multiple small grocery and Wine stores
4 metro stops in walking Distance — DuPont, Mt Vernon, U St , and China Town
Night life activities in walking distance
Multiple Public transportation including Buses and Taxis”

I’m gonna hope the “In the heart of Logan Circle” was an honest mistake…

Nevertheless does $1700 sound right for this 2 bedroom?

Photo by PoPville flickr user Laura_Grageda

Wow, I was just sitting in my office in Petworth and my lamp about fell off the desk. The room shook pretty violently for what felt like 30 seconds. I’ve gotten emails from Georgetown to Capitol Hill to Columbia Heights all saying the same thing.

Anyone notice any damage?

I’m hearing lots of buildings are being evacuated downtown.

More updates when they become available.

That’s to all who sent the details:

“5.8 (Preliminary magnitude — update expected within 15 minutes)
Date-Time

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 17:51:03 UTC
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 01:51:03 PM at epicenter

Location 37.875°N, 77.908°W
Depth 6 km (3.7 miles) set by location program
Region VIRGINIA
Distances

15 km (9 miles) S (179°) from Mineral, VA
18 km (12 miles) SSE (154°) from Louisa, VA
26 km (16 miles) ENE (58°) from Columbia, VA
54 km (34 miles) NW (314°) from Richmond, VA
139 km (87 miles) SW (214°) from Washington, DC”

DCFireems tweets at 2:16pm:

“It is advised to Shelter-in-place unless the bldg has damage & unsafe – There are reports of damaged bldgs, but none confirmed at this time”

Update 2:30pm a PoPville twitter follower writes:

“15th &Euclid – Salvadorean Ecuadorian embassy have a huge brick chimney facing the alley & it completely crumbled & blocked alley entrance.”

Update 2:37pm WMATA tweets:

“Metrorail system is open and operating with significant delays. All trains reduced to 15 mph due to ongoing emergency track inspection.”

Downtown 2pm:

Photo of Farragut Square by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

Photo by PoPville flickr user yostinator

“Dear PoPville,

Yesterday morning I as I was walking down Irving Street, just past Acre 121, I accidentally brushed shoulders with someone going the opposite direction. I was zoned out, carrying two bags on that shoulder, and just didn’t judge the distance needed to pass. When it happened I kind of waved back to say I’m sorry, and kept going. I got about two steps further when suddenly the man was in my face screaming and cursing up a storm at me for running into him. I was totally caught off guard, trying to asses whether he was one of the local CoHi crazies or a resident having a rough Monday morning. Needless to say, I was terrified, and was stammering apologies as he continued to scream and curse at me, two inches from my face.

Then from the street I hear “Don’t you dare yell at a girl like that.” A car waiting at the light had seen the altercation and apparently pulled over to come to my rescue. The passenger, a rather large man, got out and got in the guy’s face telling him to back off and that it was an accident, as the guy continued yelling at him. At this point, I bolted. I continued on my way just wanting to get out of the situation, but looking back the rest of the way to the bus to be sure the crazy man wasn’t chasing after me, and literally thinking “this guy is going to stab me.”

Once I was safely on the bus (never thought I’d say that) I felt like a real jerk for taking off and not even acknowledging the two people who came to my aid. It’s probably a long shot, but I just wanted to put a giant thank you out into the world to them, since I know many people (admittedly myself included) probably wouldn’t have done the same.”

This home is located at 406 U St, NW:

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The flier says:

“The best block in LeDroit–only intact orginial McGill block. This semi detached house has the orginial pattered slate roof, very large lot and the price includes a second lot 3090//0037. PRIOR TO SETTLEMENT OWNER WILL INSTALL NEW KITCHEN–PURCHASER TO CHOOSE GRANITE COLOR, CABINETS. & APPLIANCES. ALLOWANCE. $15,000. Close to Metro, New Restaurants, New Park at 3rd and Elm.”

You can find more info here and photos here.

I gotta agree that this block is awesome. I think I’ve featured half a dozen as house of the day in the past. This 3 bed/1.5 bath is going for $699,000.

Ed. Note: After we spoke about Fat Tire last week a reader wrote in suggesting a regular feature on beers. As a lover of beer I thought it was a great idea. As a drinker of Budweiser I knew I needed an expert. Welcome Sam Fitz from Meridian Pint who will (along with other guest posters) tackle a beer every week. If you have a specific beer you’d like reviewed let us know in the comments or send me an email at princeofpetworth(at)gmail.

New Belgium 22-ounce bottles are being sent to bars, restaurants and stores across Washington today, but they’re not just distributing Fat Tire. Yes, it is exciting that one of the country’s most sought-after beers will finally be regularly available here in DC, but New Belgium makes a range of other beers well worth drinking. Three of their staples–Ranger IPA, Trippel, and Hoptober Golden Ale (seasonal)–also hit shelves today.

Lips of Faith, New Belgium’s highly prized experimental line of beers, is coming too in the form of two new brews, Clutch and Kick. The first is a dark sour ale and the second a cranberry pumpkin beer that also resides on the sour side.

As exciting an addition as both of these beers are to the already exploding DC beer culture, Ranger IPA, which should be available year-round, is worth a closer look. At 6.5%, Ranger IPA isn’t too boozy but, at a very high 70 International Bitterness Units, it’s a bit of a beast that will leave your palate stripped of the capacity to taste anything else–other than another sip of Ranger, of course. This beer is not for the light-hearted, but it does offer a big bouquet of tastes and aromas that reward those who are brave. Ranger pours a very clear, deep golden color with a moderate amount of off-white head that dissipates fairly quickly. The aromatics of this beer are vibrant and are perhaps its greatest feature. Pleasant but almost abrasive resinous piney smells from Simcoe hops fade into a softer tropical fruit sensation. Cascade (the hop that made Sierra Nevada famous) and Chinook hops impart this grapefruit/pineapple presence that is enhanced by additional dry-hopping with Cascade.

The first sip is surprising. Initially, the beer is light on the palate, Pale and Dark Caramel malts make themselves known but don’t overwhelm, but then the dry, grapefruit pith-like bitterness explodes and lingers long after swallowing. This definitely is a West Coast-style IPA, and it’s certainly not for everyone but, like the rest of the New Belgium line, it’s undeniably worth a try.

Sam Fitz is a Certified Cicerone® and the Beer Director at Meridian Pint and soon to open Smoke & Barrel.

Whenever we talk about Indian restaurants two names always pop up – Rasika and Bombay Club (I had no idea they were under the same ownership group.) We judged Rasika in Apr. ’10 but have never properly judged Bombay Club. Bombay Club is located at 815 Connecticut Ave, NW. You can see their menu here. Anyone prefer them over Rasika? Any must order items?

I’ve been getting tons of emails from folks asking for an update on 3313 11th St, NW. For those not familiar with the project we last had an update in May ’11. At the a reader wrote in:

“Update on the vacant yellow building on 11th & Lamont (3313 11th St, NW). Jackie Greenbaum of Jackie’s and Sidebar in Silver Spring is bringing a funky Mexican cuisine to Columbia Heights. Even though the space is only 800 Sq Ft feet, it will have 24 seats downstairs, 30 seats rooftop and 20 seats outside. The menu will be simple as the kitchen will be small. Jackie also mention that there will always be a $5 margarita and plates will range from $2 to $15. She is also interested in utilizing the public gardens behind the building for restaurant use. All permits have been acquired and the building will start in the next couple of weeks with an opening some time in July or early August.”

Well obviously they won’t be opening up this month. But I’m happy to report that they were awarded their liquor license in April. Since that time design revisions have been worked on the space. It is expected for construction to begin very shortly. If all goes well they plan on opening by the end of the year.